Toilet ventilator



Sept. 10, 1940.

J. P. LOWTHER 2,214,200

TOILET VENTILATOR Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l (I; 3.1 L IZ In 1 l i I E 1 i LL" L 7 IN V EN TOR.

556 Fwy WW Y TORNEY Sept. 10, 1940. J. P. LOWTHER TOILET VENTILAIOR 19382 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28,

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 4 Claims.

in the bathroom.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that anozzle through which air is withdrawn from the bowl may also serve as ahousing for a trigger by means of which a switch is actuated to close acircuit through a motor and set the motor and a fan carried thereby intooperation when the seat is depressed by an occupant thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwherein the switch is of the mercury tube type and mounted in a tube orconduit through which the air passes from the nozzle into the fanhousing from which it is ejected into a tube leading to the wall of thebathroom.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the apparatus thatall movable parts thereof will be enclosed and thereby protected fromexposure and also prevent them from being tampered with.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thischaracter which is of a simplified and compact construction and notliable to get out of order when in use.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the apparatus installed for use, theseat of the bowl and its cover, the flush tank, and bathroom wall beingindicated by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the fan and motor housing along theline 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary foreshortened sectional view taken through thebowl and seat.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device with the discharge tuberemoved.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line l! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken horizontally through oneend portion of the device and illustrating the mercury tube switch andactuating trigger therefor.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along the line99 of Figure 6.

The foul air exhauster constituting the subject'matter of this inventionis for use in connection with a toilet bowl I having the usual seat 2,cover 3 and flush tank 4, the bowl being disposed in front of the tankin the usual position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 of thedrawings;

The housing 5 which encloses the motor 6 and the fan 1 carried therebyis disposed at one side of the bowl at the rear thereof and is formedwith an outlet neck 8 into which is engaged the front end of a dischargetube 9 extending rear- Wardly therefrom and having its rear end passingthrough an opening formed in the wall ill of the bathroom under the tank4. A collar II which fits about the pipe or tube 9, fits close againstthe wall and serves to conceal the opening through which the pipe passesand also hide the plaster or the like employed to form a tight closureabout the pipe.

A tube l2, which, at one end, is secured in the inlet neck I3 of thehousing 5 by a screw l4, extends from the housing and is of sufiicientlength to extend across the rear portion of the bowl where the seat 2and cover 3 are hingedly mounted by the usual hinge posts or bolts i5.Each post or bolt carries the usual collar l6 and the tube i2 isprovided with slotted lugs or webs l'l for engaging about the boltsunder the collars and mounting the tube back of the seat and cover. Afiat inlet nozzle l8 extends forwardly from the tube 12 between the lugsI l and, in order to close the outer end of the tube there has beenprovided a hollow plug I 9 whichfits into the tube and is held thereinby a screw 20. An opening 2|, which registers with a companion openingin the tube, is formed in the plug to accommodate the wires 22 whichextend along the rear portion of the tube I2 and are shielded by thedepending skirt or lip 23. These wires enter the terminal box 24 whereone is secured to the terminal 25 to which the motor lead wire 26 isattached and the other is secured to one of the power wires 21. Thispower wire is secured to the terminal 28 and the other power wire issecured to the terminal 29 to which the other motor lead wire 30 issecured. Referring to Figure 5, it will be readily seen that when themercury tube switch 3| into which the wires 22 are secured, is tilted ina direction to cause the mercury to flow to the outer end of the tube, acircuit will be closed through the motor and the fan operated to createa suction through th tube 12 and the inlet nozzle i9 and cause air to bewithdrawn from the bowl and into the housing 5, from which it isexpelled through the pipe 9 and into the wall ID for passage upwardlythrough the wall into an attic or through a vent pipe to the outeratmosphere.

The mercury tube extends longitudinally in the tube l2 and the plug l9and is mounted in a coiled spring 32 having arms 33terminating inlaterally extending pins 34 which engage in openings 35 formed in theplug and mount the tube 3| for swinging movement from the circuitbreaking position shown in Figure 3 by full lines to the circuit closingposition indicated by dotted lines in this figure. In view of the factthat the mercury tube is mounted in a coiled spring, it will not becrackedwhen expansion and contraction take place. The plug must be atall times retained in the position shown in Figures 3 and 8, so that thetube and its resilient mounting may be swung vertically, and in order todo so, there has been provided a lug or rib 36 extending longitudinallyin the outer end portion of the tube I2 and engaged in a slot 31 formedin the annular wall of theplug. The plug can only be fully inserted whenin position to permit the rib to enter its slot and will then beprevented from turning in the tube I2 out of its proper position. Thisalso assures registration of the opening 2| in the plug with thecompanion opening of the tube so that the wires 22 maybe threaded.

through these openings.

In order to actuate the mercury tube switch and close the circuitthrough the motor, there has been provided a trigger 38 which extendslongitudinally in a chamber 39 formed in the nozzle I8 by a partitionstrip 40. The trigger is mounted for vertical tilting movement by afulcrum pin 4| and its inner or rear end'extends into the tube 12 and isformed with a head 42 disposed under the mercury tube, as shown inFigure '7, while its outer end terminates in an upstanding knob orbutton 43 projecting through an opening 44 in the top of the chamber 39and 7 carrying a screw 45 disposed under a thumb tack 46- carried by theseat. 2. It will be readily understood that when the seat is forceddownwardly by the weight of a person occupying the same, pressure willbe applied to the knob to rock the trigger and swing its inner or rearend upwardly to tilt the mercury tube upwardly, as indicated by dottedlines in Figure 7, to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure3, and close the circuit through the motor. The seat is normally heldupwardly out of position to apply pressure upon the knob by a rubber cupdisposed under a side edge portion of the seat and having an upwardlyprojecting shank 48 which sits into a socket 49 secured against theunder face of the seat. This cup is yieldable so that when the seat issubjected to weight it will be .forced downwardly and the thumb tack 46moved into position to engage the screw 45. By adjusting the screw,proper engagement between the screw and the thumb tack may be obtained.

While only one cup or yieldable support 41 has been shown, it is obviousthat a second may be provided at the other side of the seat and pro--vided an even support for the seat. The outer or front end of thechamber 39 is closed by a cap 50 to prevent dirt from entering thechamber and obstructing the lever.

When this ventilator apparatus is in use,-it is installed as shown withthe slotted fins engaged about the hinge posts and secured firmly inplace.

The pipe 9 is applied to the outlet neck of the housing 6 and passedthrough an opening formed in the wall, after-which the space between thepipe andmargins of the opening is ehinked to form a tight joint and thecollar shifted along the pipe into position to cover and conceal theopening and provide a good appearance. The cups or yieldable supportsare applied to the under surface of the cover 3 and also the thumb tackso that when the seat is occupied and depressed, pressure will beapplied to the screw 45 to rock the trigger and tilt the mercury tubeswitch to close the circuit through the motor and operate the fan tocause suction through the tube l2 and its nozzle l8. Air and obnoxiousgases will thus be withdrawn from the bowl I through the nozzle and thetube into the fan housing and discharged therefrom through the pipe 9into the wall. If the bowl should become clogged and become filled withwater to such an extent that it enters the nozzle and fiows into thetube l2, the barrier or baflle will prevent it from reaching the end ofthe tube communicating with the fan housing and damaging the motor, andin order to allow the water to escape from the tube, there have beenprovided drain openings 52. While two drain openings are shown, it isobvious that as many as desired may be provided. When the occupant ofthe seat arises, the seat will be shifted upwardly by the cup or cups 41and, as pressure will be removed from the front end of the lever, thelever and the mercury tube will return to normal position and break thecircuit to shut oi the motor.

Having thus described the invention, what is in side pintles engaged inthe sockets of saidv plug to pivotally mount the mercury tube forvertical-swinging movement into and out of a. tilted position to close acircuit, a trigger extending longitudinally in said nozzle and pivotedintermediate its length with its inner end extending into said body andunder the inner end portion of said mercury tube, a head at the outerend of said trigger projecting upwardly through the upper wall of thenozzle, and a screw carried by the head and adjustable vertically intoposition for projecting upwardly from the head adjusted distances.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular body, a nozzleextending laterally from said body, a hollow plug for closing one end ofsaid body formed with sockets at opposite sides, a mercury tubeextending longitudinally in said body, a spring fitting about saidmercury tube and having arms extending longitudinally thereof andterminating in side pintles engaged in the sockets to pivotally mountthe mercury tube for vertical swinging movement into and out of positionto close a circuit, and a trigger mounted in said nozzle with its innerend portion extending into the tubular body and engaging under the innerend portion of the mercury tube and its outer end provided with a headprojecting upwardly through an opening formed in the nozzle.

3. In a device of the character described, a

tubular body, a nozzle extending from said body, a mercury tube in saidbody extending longitudinally therein, a mounting for said mercury tubepivoted for vertical swinging movement from a lowered position to anupwardly inclined position to close a circuit, and a trigger in saidnozzle having one end portion extending into the tubular body andengaging said mercury tube, the other end of said trigger having anactuating member projecting from the nozzle through an opening in thetop wall thereof in position to be depressed and actuate the trigger.

JESSE P. LOWTHER.

